A South Ozone Park soldier who wanted desperately to save his family from foreclosure - and who volunteered for a second tour of duty - made the ultimate sacrifice when he was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) and small arms fire outside of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan, near the border with Pakistan.
Andrew Seabrooks, 36, an Army National Guard Sergeant due to come home on one week’s leave from July 3 through 10, spoke with his family on June 20.
He was killed the next day.
His last words were, “I’m coming home. Don’t give up the house.”
Seabrooks’ story is truly one of tragedy.
THE COURIER/PHOTO BY NICK BENEDUCEThis is the home (in threat of foreclosure) of Sergeant Andrew Seabrooks, 36, who was due to come home on leave from Afghanistan on July 3.He was killed in action on June 21.
The two-family home he lived in at 109th Avenue and 133rd Street belonged to his mother, who died on January 30, 2005.
Her dying words to her son were, “Take care of the house and your sister.”
Seabrooks’ sister, Melissa, 39, has Down syndrome and lived with him.
In March of 1994, Seabrooks enlisted because he “wanted to protect his country.” He was assigned to Company G of the 427th Brigade Support Battalion in Jamaica prior to being assigned to the 101st Cavalry for this deployment in 2007.
He had already served a tour of duty in Iraq when, facing foreclosure and having trouble making his mortgage payments, the installer of radio equipment in cars volunteered to go to Afghanistan for the money.
He always said, “I’m not letting this house go,” according to family members.
“He was my best friend,” said a cousin, Clintso Armstrong III. “He was a joker, a great guy.”
Seabrooks was not the only casualty of the IED.
Sergeant Anthony Mangano, of Greenlawn, Long Island, Specialist Nelson Rodriguez-Ramirez of Revere, MA, and Lieutenant Colonel James Walton of the 1st Infantry Division were also in the vehicle and were killed in the ambush en route to a training location. All three soldiers were assigned to A Troop, Second Squadron 101st Cavalry, based in Geneva, Ontario County, NY.
“We in the military understand that we may be called upon to pay the ultimate sacrifice,” said Major General Joseph Taluto, the Adjutant General and commander of the New York Army National Guard. “But we are always saddened when comrades in arms make those sacrifices.”
He continued, “These three members of the Army National Guard died carrying out an important mission; training the Afghan forces to stand against elements that would return their country to the dark ages. We are proud of them and we will never forget them.”
Aside from his sister, Seabrooks leaves behind a son, Andrew Frasier, 15, who lives in Jamaica; a wife, Kimberly, 16-year-old daughter Shermonique and 15-year-old, Danielle, all of whom live in Virginia; son Dante, 8; a niece, Gloria Hedges; and a great-nephew, Xavier, 4.
The decorated soldier was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart posthumously.
More than 6,500 members of the New York Army National Guard have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since September 11, 2001. Twenty-three members of the New York Army National Guard have been killed in action since then, all in Iraq until now.
Currently, 1,700 members of the New York Army National Guard are serving in Afghanistan and about 150 are serving in Iraq. Another 300 soldiers will deploy to Iraq later this year. About 300 members of the New York Air National Guard's 174 Fighter Wing are currently deployed in Iraq and about 200 other Air Guard members are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In the face of the family’s loss, Hedges asked, “When is this war going to end?”
